Graham Ads Put Workdays To Work

TALLAHASSEE — The first advertisements touting Gov. Bob Graham as a candidate for the U.S. Senate began Friday, four days before he is scheduled to formally announce his candidacy.

The three advertisements, 60-second, 30-second and 10-second spots, all deal with Graham's ''workdays.'' They remind voters that Graham has spent a dozen days each year since his election in such jobs as teaching school, plucking chickens, emptying trash and cleaning sponges.

The workdays theme is largely credited with getting Graham elected in 1978, when he worked 100 different jobs around the state during the campaign.

''In essence, they the ads reintroduce that whole program to the people of Florida,'' said Jim Eaton, Graham's campaign manager.

Graham's opponent, incumbent Republican Paula Hawkins of Winter Park, also is scheduled to begin a series of ads this weekend.

An official with her campaign who asked not to be identified confirmed that a fourth series of Hawkins ads will begin today. He would not describe their content, but he said the ads are new.

In Graham's ads, only the short 10-second spot mentions that he is running for the Senate. It says: ''You know what Bob Graham has done in Florida. Think what he can do in the Senate. Bob Graham working for Florida. In Washington.'' In the longer ads, the only indication of his candidacy is a small picture of of such Washington, D.C., buildings as the Capitol and the Washington Monument at the end of the spots.

The advertisements, which are running in every television market in Florida, cost at least $250,000 and are scheduled to remain on the air for about 10 days, Eaton said. They may stay on the air longer if polling indicates that would be beneficial.

''We felt like these commercials lay a nice predicate for his announcement next Tuesday,'' Eaton said.

Graham plans three days of events beginning Tuesday to kick off his campaign. In addition to the workdays ads, he will show a five-minute movie at about 200 home parties around the state for campaign supporters.